Proof: Helmets Save Lives

September 01, 2005

Two studies came out last month that show beyond a shadow of a doubt that motorcycle helmets save lives.

Of course, that isn't surprising. But in fighting for mandatory helmet laws, it's important to back up anecdotal stories and seat-of-the-pants feelings with empirical research. Two respected groups -- the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -- have done just that; they both analyzed the experience of Florida, which repealed its mandatory helmet law in 2000.

In the wake of the law being abolished, fatalities rose sharply and health care costs soared. The federal study, which was conducted by the Connecticut-based Preusser Research Group, found that in the three years following Florida's repeal of its mandatory helmet law, 933 bikers were killed, an increase of 81 percent from the 515 killed from 1997 to 1999.

Meanwhile, the cost of hospital care for motorcycle injuries grew from $21 million to $44 million in the 30 months after the law was changed. The findings were similar to those in Kentucky and Louisiana, which also repealed their mandatory helmet laws.

The study by the insurance group found that the death rate of Florida motorcyclists in 2001 and 2002 rose 25 percent compared with the two years before the repeal of the law. Nationally, biker fatalities have increased seven years in a row.

Connecticut is among the 30 states that don't require motorcycle riders to wear protective gear. It's a perennial issue at the Capitol. Every year, scores of bikers turn out to oppose the mandate, saying it should be a matter of personal freedom. They say they prefer to ride unencumbered, with the wind blowing through their hair.

That's all well and good except that when bikers are in accidents, their injuries require medical care, driving up costs and, in many cases, placing a burden on society.

Helmets, which are designed to cushion and protect riders' heads from the impact of a crash, decrease the severity of injuries and the cost of medical care. Helmets reduce brain injury, which often results in lifelong disability. Helmet-less motorcycle riders are three times more likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries.

With the cost of health care going through the roof, mandatory helmet use seems as sensible and innocuous a step to take as requiring people in cars to wear seat belts.